Saturday Dad Reads Week of August 9

In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey argues that trust is not just an intangible virtue but rather the one key thing that affects every dimension of life and business. Covey explains that when trust is high, speed increases and costs decrease, whereas low trust breeds suspicion, delays, and increased costs. Covey maintains that trust is a measurable, learnable skill and presents a framework for building it through five “Waves of Trust”: Self Trust, Relationship Trust, Organizational Trust, Market Trust, and Societal Trust. Each wave builds upon the other, starting with personal integrity and credibility and expanding to broader societal impact.

Covey provides further actionable guidance through the “13 Behaviors of High Trust Leaders,” such as talking straight, demonstrating respect, and creating transparency. These behaviors help individuals and organizations strengthen relationships and operate more effectively. In the end, trust improves collaboration, innovation, and outcomes and we have the power to determine its impact on all of our relationships.

Stephen M.R. Covey is a leadership expert, speaker, and the eldest son of Stephen R. Covey, the renowned author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Building on his father’s legacy, Stephen M.R. Covey carved his own path as a thought leader, particularly in the realm of trust as a critical business competency. He earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and served as the CEO of Covey Leadership Center, where he led the company through a successful merger that created FranklinCovey, a global professional services firm. Through his firm, CoveyLink, he works with leaders and teams to develop trust-based cultures. Covey’s contributions have helped redefine how businesses and individuals view trust, shifting it from a vague ideal to a tangible, measurable skill set essential for leadership and performance.

In The Speed of Trust when discussing Market and Societal Trust, Covey provides several anecdotes of how corporations lost consumer trust and what those firms did to subsequently rebuild a trusting relationship with their customers.

While there are certainly many instances that I could draw on for this section, as the father of a teenager with a car and a driver’s license who is always looking to go get food, I could think of no better example for a dad to have in hand. Even though my daughter claims it is "mid,” she eats there all the time. So let’s dive into how people got the shits from eating at Chipotle and how they got people to come back.

Between 2015 and early 2016, Chipotle was linked to several foodborne illness outbreaks across the United States involving E. coli, norovirus, and salmonella. These outbreaks occurred in multiple locations and were traced to different causes.

Two of the outbreaks involved contaminated produce and two of the outbreaks involved an employee coming to work ill and contaminating food prep surfaces and food items themselves. All the while, Chipotle sustained a massive hit to its branding as a restaurant chain that delivered “food with integrity.”

Within a year, Chipotle’s net income plummeted and its stock price entered freefall. In fact, I very distinctly remember in February 2016 when all Chipotle stores closed for a mandatory food safety training. Although norovirus is no joke, Chipotle certainly was for a number of years afterward and I decided to forego the carnitas burrito for a long while.

However, things have turned around for Chipotle. Through a combination of marketing and promotions, along with a change in leadership (of all people they bring in the former CEO of Taco Bell) the restaurant chain has largely recovered.

I’ve since returned to eating there, but I definitely give my food (and the people making it) a second look.